Rug producer Safavieh will produce a licensed area rug line with design maven Martha Stewart.

Safavieh principal Arash Yaraghi said the multi-year contract with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia gives Safavieh the exclusive license for Martha Stewart-branded area rugs, and that the first collection is scheduled for introduction at the Atlanta rug market in January 2007.

"We are looking forward to utilizing our unique styling capabilities, sourcing and quality to produce area rugs that will complement other products in the Martha Stewart Signature Collection," Yaraghi said.

The collection will include handmade and machine-made rugs in a range of sizes and styles, and will be made in Safavieh's manufacturing facilities in Tibet, Nepal, India and Pakistan. According to Yaraghi, targeted independent retailers for the line will include nearly 400 upscale floor covering and furniture dealers across the country. The rugs will retail from $200 to more than $3,000 depending on size and weave.

"Martha Stewart has great taste, and I love her line of furniture with Bernhardt," Yaraghi said. "In her Signature Collection, she has created simple classics that appeal to today's design-savvy consumers. Safavieh has many of the same qualities in terms of classic designs, a penchant for quality and the ability to create the best possible reproductions.

"When I met with Martha Stewart, what came through to me is that her line of rugs should reflect the taste and sophistication of Martha Stewart Signature," he said. "When the two of us got together, we clicked. We both wanted to market the line to independent furniture stores where rugs could be shown along with her furniture, and to upscale floor coverings dealers.

Safavieh offers a broad range of product in both traditional and contemporary design. "We intend to do everything we can to enhance the Martha Stewart brand with fine quality rugs targeted to her lifestyle customers, and we are committed to creating a collection that lives up to Martha Stewart's unparalleled cachet in interior design," Yaraghi said.

The Martha Stewart lines marks the second licensed collection from Safavieh. The company launched its first line with Thomas O'Brien at January's Atlanta rug show.

Martha Stewart